Behind the Tag
by Seiyuki Narimaru
Summary: He plays each day with the hope of fighting her again. He's never seen her face, but she was always kind. When the gaming tournament for amateurs comes to town, her status gets updated to say she'll be attending. He wants to see the face behind the name, but is it possible he already knows her?
1. Chapter 1

Behind the Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: I know I'm working on another story, but I had to get this out since it helped me overcome my writer's block. It's a drabble that likely doesn't make much sense, but I like how it turned out. I hope you enjoy! Constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome!

Chapter One: Request

You sent a friend request to Titania.

Status: Request Pending

It had been three weeks sent he sent the friend request to her. Each time he played her, she won and it left him wanting to play against her more. It wasn't that she was a person that mashed buttons, but her combo moves were unlike anything he had seen before and she didn't yell into the headset like others. She had a sultry sounding voice and it didn't distract from her game play. She was a fair opponent that gave thanks after a match. Sometimes she would stream her game play, but never showed her face. He watched whenever he could, hoping to pick up on tips to help improve his gaming, but he secretly wished she would show her face. When he thought about it, it made him feel like a stalker and it made him slightly uncomfortable to be so encamped by a woman whose face he had never seen. After another day of playing, the man turned off his gaming console and flipped the input back to regular television. His short blue hair whipped slightly with the small gust from the ceiling fan and reach reached for his drink before settling on a show he enjoyed.

* * *

Erza Scarlet saw the pending request from the one calling himself Mystogan. At first she thought that it was a play on the word mystery, but wasn't too sure. He was a good player and she actually liked playing against him. He didn't trash talk like the other people and didn't treat her any differently because she was a girl. He didn't try to flirt with her or say crude things and it was refreshing. He sounded like someone she used to know, but realized that couldn't be the case. She hadn't seen that person since middle school when he moved away. Of course, online gaming had become pretty big as of high school so the idea of him playing wasn't too far-fetched. He always did like playing video games. She found that part of him to be cute.

She let her mouse pointer hover over the registration link for the amateur Tekken Tag Tournament and drummed her fingertips against the desk before clicking the link. For her, this would be the first time participating in a tournament like this as she thought her record was now good enough. She wasn't sure how she let Lucy talk her into this, but things like this usually happen with drinks and games.

 _"Erza, you should participate this year!"_

 _The red head looked up with a mouth full of strawberry cake and stared at her blonde friend. She had forgotten it was that time of year already. Their group, Fairy Tail, participated each year since the beginning and Titania never had the chance to attend. Well actually, it wasn't that she never had the chance, but rather, she didn't have a reason to. This year was different with playing against Mystogan so much. Part of her wanted to see the face behind the tag. The way he sounded sent shivers down her spine and it was just the way he talked. He didn't flirt with her, he just held normal conversations._

 _"Well, they've been waiting for me to participate for a while now. I just didn't really have the time."_

 _"They think you're still looking for the one that got away," Lucy said with a smile._

 _Erza blushed at the title and placed her fork down. She wouldn't say that much, but she did have a pretty big crush on him. Of course, he never noticed her with him being one of the popular guys. It seemed strange to suddenly think about that now, but it happened. She sighed quietly and looked at the blonde haired woman._

 _"You think so, Lucy?"_

" _You did have quite the crush on him, Erza. He was quite popular with the ladies. I actually wondered if he was gay since he never had a girlfriend."_

 _Erza chuckled and moved her hair back behind her ear. "Perhaps he just wasn't interested in any girl at our school. There is a part of me that wonders if we'll ever meet again."_

Erza clicked on the registration link and entered in the needed information. Once she submitted her form, she went back to her pending requests. She clicked on Mystogan's name to glance at is profile and saw nothing. Not even a basic bio. His profile picture had a weird symbol and he was just as mysterious as she imagined he would be. She clicked on the accept button and updated her own profile to inform the online community that she would be participating in the tournament. As soon as she saved the change, her console beeped with an incoming message and she clicked on the icon to read it.

 **From Salamander:**

 **Just heard from Lucy that you'll finally be taking part in the tournament. I finally get a chance to beat you in public! It took you long enough! Now, I'm all fired up!**

Erza rolled her eyes and clicked on the arrow to respond to the first of many messages from her group members. This one in particular entertained her as he had always been this way since they were in school. The fact that she could imagine his face as he typed to her made her snicker to herself.

 **To Salamander:**

 **Your girlfriend is quite persuasive. You should know that better than anyone. This should be rather interesting as I'd like to see the other players involved. I'll host a practice session at my apartment** **tomorrow** **. Let the others know in case they want to attend.**

Just as she clicked the send button, she received another message. She knew the flood would start and hovered over the other message while holding her strawberry soda.

 **From ThunderGod:**

 **So, word is that the mighty Titania will finally show her face this year. I've been itching for a rematch. Last time you beat me, I may have had too little sleep and the baby was crying so I kept getting distracted. I'll play seriously next time.**

Erza nearly spit her soda out through an uncontrolled laugh at the message. The sender was another person she constantly beat, but there was always an excuse as to why she won. It kept her laughing and she tried to think of a response. Finally, she clicked on the reply button and began.

 **To ThunderGod:**

 **Yes, let the excuses flow. I'm attempting to get the group together** **tomorrow** **for a practice session of you're interested. I'd like to see the baby again, too!**

After sending the message, she stepped away from her console. It looked like it was starting to get pretty late and she considered going to bed. She stretched and grabbed the controller for the console, switching it to Netflix. Part of her felt nervous about going to the tournament, but the other part of her really hoped she'd see Mystogan there. It felt like an obsession even though this man was a stranger to her. Her thoughts weren't consumed with him, but he just reminded her of Jellal Fernandes. She recalled his blue hair and dark colored eyes as he smiled while talking. He didn't have a girlfriend through all their high school years, but he attracted them in swarms. She was one of them. Strangely enough, Erza Scarlet had no issue voicing her opinion when it came to anything else, but she was speechless when it came to Jellal.

"Who exactly are you, Mystogan?" She thought quietly as she started drifting off to sleep.

The sound of the birds made him open his eyes and he pulled the covers over his face. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he wished the birds hadn't disturbed him. He had been lucky enough to have one of the best dreams he had in a long time. Of course, it involved her. They always did. He knew she was the one that got away. Even during his college years, he couldn't stop thinking of her. Her most noticeable feature was her scarlet colored hair and he never forgot it. He tried to maintain a relationship throughout college, but being cheated on brought his mind back to her. The cheating didn't make him fall into a depressed state, but the potential of never seeing her again did. He wondered where she was now.

Jellal finally poked his head from under his covers and looked over at the picture they had taken in high school with the tech club. Her scarlet hair fell beautifully around her face and her smile brightened the picture. He remembered the day as if it happened yesterday. She had finally completed her first PC build and was excited to show it off. The guys were amazed at her skills and she gained their respect as someone that was genuinely interested in computers. That picture was one of the only things he kept from high school.

He rolled out of bed to ready himself for the day. A day off for him came once in a while as he tried to stay busy and make extra money. His sister would be coming to visit for the weekend and she would have millions of questions. He went to prepare the guest room for her and once he finished, Jellal went to turn his console on. It was time to be lazy. The screen flashed as the logo showed up and went to his home screen. The first thing he saw was a new message and he clicked on it. A boyish grin spread across his face as he saw that she accepted his request. He had no idea what she looked like, but he felt strangely happy to finally be her friend. He clicked on her profile and the only things she had displayed were the profile picture and a short status. He didn't expect a picture, but he also didn't expect to see that she would be participating in this year's amateur tournament. The blunette booted his computer and with quick keystrokes, he went to the website to see about registering for the tournament. The first thing that he saw was that the deadline was tomorrow. His record was nothing like hers, but he decided to register anyway for a chance to possibly see her.

Once he registered, he picked up his phone to make a call and wasn't surprised when the device rang in his hand. He looked at the caller ID and chuckled before answering.

"I was just about to call you, Meredy."

"Were you, Jellal?" The voice questioned. "That sounds like a lie. I'll let that slide. Besides, I have some news to share with you!"

"News? Why does that sound suspicious?"

"You're too paranoid! I just wanted to tell you that I would be meeting with Ultear and her mom at the station! I'm going to hang out with her for a bit and she's going to drop me off so you don't have to!"

"Ultear?" He questioned. "I remember her. How is she?"

"They're doing good. One of her brothers, Lyon just graduated college and he's coming back to live in Magnolia now. You went to school with him right?"

Jellal remembered Lyon from middle school. While they weren't particularly close, he could tolerate him more than others. He was also quite friendly with his brother, Gray. When they both moved away, Jellal lost two people that he could relate to. They were able to laugh and joke about the everyday school life, but then they went to different high schools and lost contact. It was something that normally happened as people grew older and he knew it.

"Yes, I remember both of them. The last time I talked to Gray was quite some time ago. His career is really taking off."

He heard his sister laugh until her breathing became slightly strained. "His girlfriend is the best. She considered everyone a love rival. I think it embarrasses him sometimes."

"That may be a little of what love is, Meredy."

"What about Erza?"

The question threw him off and he remained silent for moment before answering. As soon as he opened his mouth, she interrupted him.

"I thought so," she said softly. "You'll see her again, Jellal. I know you will."

"I'll see you when you get here, Meredy. Travel safely."

"Of course."

The line disconnected and Jellal sighed as he stared at the picture again. A sigh escaped him and he ran his hand through his hair. He never had a woman affect him so much.

"Will I really see her again, Meredy?"

A/N: I'm glad I finally got that down. It knocked the writer's block clear out of the park. Hopefully it stays away.


	2. Chapter 2

Behind the Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: So the first chapter received more of a response that I thought it would and now that school is finally over for the summer, I can write more! Actually, I don't know how much more as the next couple of weeks will be extremely busy. I'll be going on a cruise at the end of next week until the end of the month and I'm finally starting in the IT field so there's a lot of excitement on that front. Not only that, I can finally get back to studying Japanese as I haven't been able to do so in a couple of months.

Well, enough about my non-interesting life! Onwards to chapter two!

You guys are great!

* * *

Chapter two: Jellal

Jellal Fernandes stared at her for a moment before looking away in embarrassment. He would hate if she ever caught him and it made him sound like such a creepy man. This was high school after all. These four years were full of embarrassing moments and awkward situations. Luckily this was the last year.

"Why don't you just talk to her?"

He looked up at the dark haired woman staring back at him and shrugged his shoulders. She always knew how to get him to talk and he sighed quietly, looking away.

"Ultear, a girl as pretty as her would never be interested in a guy like me," he admitted.

The girl, Ultear, frowned and folded her arms. She couldn't understand why Jellal would get so down on himself and become a self-loathing man. He was very handsome and caught the eyes of many girls. He was very self-conscious about his face because of the weird tattoo from his childhood, but it didn't stop the blushes. She had known that his tattoo was a reminder of his terrifying childhood, but he fought against removing it. Ultear remembered his reasoning as it erasing a part of his past that made him into who he was. She understood that better than anyone. She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled softly.

"You'll approach her in due time. Perhaps you're not ready and that's okay! Just remember, you're an amazing guy with so much to offer."

Jellal looked up at her and smiled widely. "Thanks, Ultear. You've certainly got a way with words."

"I've learned from you, Jellal."

He chuckled as the sound of the bell indicated that lunch was over. The pair stood up to bus their trays and leave the cafeteria with the rest of the students. His eyes caught the flow of red hair in front of him as she walked out with her blonde haired friend and the pinkette trailing behind. He could hear her voice over the chatter of the others and it made him smile.

"I can't believe you haven't done your homework!" She scolded the pink haired boy behind her. "You even had the lunch period to do it. That is very irresponsible, Natsu. If you weren't so busy fighting with Gray, you would have probably finished it."

The pink haired boy, Natsu, scoffed and turned his nose up. He ran his hand through his wet hair and glared ahead at another dark haired guy.

"He started it!" Natsu protested. "He dumped water on me!"

The dark haired guy looked back over his shoulder and grinned. "I had to cool you off. You were being such a hot head back there."

"Why you-"

Erza turned her gaze on Natsu and his mouth closed quickly. He still glared at Gray with folded arms and groaned. He couldn't believe that just a look from Erza was enough to get him. At least he had known that her look affected Gray too.

"That's enough out of both of you. Don't make me punish you," she said menacingly.

Natsu sulked and held the door open for them. It was just like her to be the adult, but it did make him laugh. They had grown up together in the care of Makarov Dreyar after the man had taken them in as abandoned children. He honestly wouldn't have had it any other way.

"I'll meet you guys after class," Erza said. "Remember that there is an early dismissal. This is the last class of the day."

"But does it need to be 90 minutes?" Natsu asked in protest.

"Don't complain. You could have picked a better class than sculpting. The house is filled with dragons! Just be thankful that there are two weeks of school left."

"My dragons are awesome! You mean to tell me that they don't get you fired up!?"

"No, Natsu." She responded. "No, they do not."

"They get you fired up, right Lucy?!"

The blonde haired girl shook her head slowly and stared at him. She couldn't believe she liked this guy.

"There are too many of them."

Erza chuckled at the statement as she caught a glimpse of Lucy's facial expression. She was sure that Lucy probably regretted her feelings for Natsu, but it didn't stop the red head from seeing the blush that formed.

"You two get to class," she said. "The bell should be ringing soon."

"Yes, mom," Natsu replied sarcastically.

Erza waved her hand and closed the door behind her. The classroom was a bit empty with it being closer to the end of the year. Those that weren't here had failed the class and didn't care. Her class was a mix of freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors as it was an elective. She knew that many people had chosen this class as they assumed it would be easy. For her, it was cake. Strawberry cake.

As she fantasized about her pastry, a slight breeze blew by her in the form of the blue haired Jellal Fernandes. He took his seat behind and to the left of her and her eyes met his for a brief moment. She looked away quickly before he lifted his head and smiled as she faced the front of the class.

The sound of the bell silenced the classroom as their teacher wandered in with his backpack. He was quite the technology teach in her eyes. Freed Justine had a Masters in Information Technology as well as a few certifications. Erza had stayed after class many times to gain knowledge from him as it was a field she became interested in throughout her high school years. The tall man stood by the front desk and sat the bag on the floor before looking at the students.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Justine!"

Freed stared at the students before clasping his hands together and a small smile appeared on his always serious face. The students murmured at the sudden change in his demeanor until he opened his mouth to speak.

"It has been quite the privilege teaching all of you. One of my best high school classes by far," he began. "I am happy that my high school career will be ending on a positive note."

The mummers started again and he held his hand up to silence the class. Erza didn't seem surprised as he had mentioned it to her one day after class. She looked at one of the other students as she raised her hand with a confused look.

"Yes, Laki?"

"You said that your high school career was ending. Will you be teaching elsewhere, sir?"

Freed pondered the question for a moment before nodding. "I will, Laki. I will be teaching at both the community college as well as the University of Magnolia. I will be handling a few of their technology courses and administering a couple of their certification exam courses."

Erza raised her hand in interest. Freed looked over at her and nodded for her to proceed.

"You'll be involved in the prep classes for the exams like A+, CCNA, CCENT, Microsoft, and the others?"

"Just the A+ and CCNA exams. The other certification exam prep classes are being taught by other professors and teachers from other schools. I am happy to have the opportunity to take part in using what I've learned to teach others."

Ezra's interest rose as she had already been accepted to the local community college and decided on her major. She may not have looked it, but she was very interested in computers and knew her way around them. She had hoped to earn enough credits and then transfer to the university to continue her degree. Knowing that Freed Justine would be one of her tech teachers made things much better as she was comfortable with his style of teaching.

"Congratulations, sir," she had finally said. "I hope to have you as my teacher when I attend."

"You'll be attending the community college?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, sir," she responded. "I will be taking the coursework necessary for an Associate's in Network Engineering. You're an excellent teacher and I have been happy to learn from you."

The students murmured in agreement and some even had sad looks despite it being their last year anyway. It wasn't often that a teacher made such an impact on a student. Mr. Justine was fair and extremely helpful. He didn't set impossible expectations, but remained proud of his students when the exceeded or fell short. That's what Erza liked most about him. He knew all of his students had potential even if they didn't think so.

"So," Freed began again. "What I'd like to do for our final class is just have you guys answer a couple of questions to gauge what you've learned this year. It's not a graded assignment, but I would like to use it as feedback for things you didn't understand fully or material I could have expanded upon. Should any of you be going to the community college, I will also be teaching one of the Intro to Technology sections so you may end up with me again. I want your honest answers on this guys."

He removed a stack of papers from his bag and proceeded to hand them out to the students. When he got the Erza, she looked at the paper and saw general questions regarding the class and how it was taught. These were very important questions to him, so she would certainly need to answer honestly.

Question One:

 _What have you taken away from this class?_

Erza stared down at the paper and thought about everything she could before tapping her pen against the desk. She had taken away so much from the class and she was honestly sad that it was ending. While she had been happy to leave high school, leaving some of her teachers would make her sad.

 _I've learned just how important technology is in today's world. I know for sure that this is the field I want to be in and I am happy to have had you as a teacher. I've learned the importance of patience and being personable when it comes to helping those that are not as tech savvy. I've learned that putting in effort is half of the battle._

She felt pleased with her answer and looked at the next question. There was a strange pestering in her head but she sighed it away and lightly tapped her foot against the floor. She felt someone staring at her, but she ignored the feeling and read the next question.

The blue haired man looked away from the side of her head and looked back down at his paper. His eyes grazed over the second question and he yawned quietly before setting his pen to the paper.

Question Two:

 _Do you see yourself in the IT field? If so, which road do you wish to take?  
_  
 _I'd like to be a computer technician. Fixing computers has always been a personal hobby and I would like to perhaps turn it into a career. I enjoy helping people as it makes me feel wanted as strange as it sounds._

He watched students hand in their papers and file out of the classroom as Freed said they were free to go. After a few minutes, only he and Erza remained in the classroom. He watched her hair blow gently with the breeze from outside and smiled. Soon he saw her stand and walk towards the front to turn her paper in. She looked back at him and smiled gently before walking out of the classroom.

"Maybe you should talk to her. You may not have this chance again."

Jellal's face reddened as he looked at his teacher. Surely the green eyed man saw him glancing at Erza and he suddenly felt embarrassed. His teacher only chuckled quietly as he sorted the papers.

"Don't let this be a regret, Mr. Fernandes," Freed said softly. "She's a really nice girl. I'm sure you've known that by working with her throughout the year."

Jellal smiled and nodded as he handed in his paper. He knew his teacher was right. He didn't want to have any regrets. He could at least talk to her.

"Thank you, Mr. Justine."

"I'll see you at the graduation ceremony, Jellal."

* * *

Jellal shook himself out of his daydream and sighed quietly. He had no idea how he started thinking about his high school days as if they happened yesterday. If he had known then what he knew now, he would have done more than a nervous greeting. Four years later and he still regretted saying more than a hello. Freed had been correct in that he wouldn't be happy about the missed chance. He could never forget her smile or her red hair. He later learned that she played video games and even went to tournaments so he created an online gamer profile. Instead of going by Jellal, he decided on something more mysterious. He called himself Mystogan. When he thought of the name years ago, it made him laugh as he wasn't even sure how he came up with it. When he decided to go to the tournaments, he disguised himself using a scarf and sunglasses. He had no idea why he did it, but everyone else was in some sort of costume. Jellal chuckled quietly and shook his head in slight boredom. He remembered when she suddenly stopped playing and Erza Scarlet disappeared from the online gaming world. He had always wondered what happened to her, but never forgot about her even as he started to run into Titania a few months after that. She played a lot of the same games that he had so running into her happened frequently. He stared at his watch and door, waiting for his clock out time and sighed.

 _'Only a half hour to go,'_ he thought.

Just as he turned away from the door, he saw a flash of red hair. He had just spoken about her to Meredy and questioned if he would ever see her again. His mouth went dry and he cleared his throat quietly before turning around. He saw her standing by the door with a couple of people. Her red hair was unmistakable and unique to him. She hadn't changed at all, but he knew that he had. His hair was no longer blue and the facial art he sported had been covered up with concealer due to work rules. Instead of going to her, he tried to exit without her noticing as another colleague approached her. Before he could turn away, he accidentally locked eyes with her. She stared until her eyes widened in slight surprised and she smiled.

"Jellal?"

* * *

A/N: It's short, but I have to get all of this writing out of my head before I forget it all! I have to get a lot of planning going for Shackles of Yesterday :D


	3. Chapter 3

Behind the Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: I'm very happy with the response received for this even though I didn't expect much. I have to say, you guys are awesome. Here's chapter three

* * *

Chapter three: Reunion

He stared at her as if she were a ghost and her greeting barely registered. He was in his own world and that simple greeting sent a blush creeping into his face. The red hair seemed like an illusion and he couldn't focus. Jellal cleared his throat quietly and mentally stomped down on the blush.

"Hi, Erza," he croaked.

The way his voice came out made it sound like he had just started puberty again. Jellal mentally slapped himself to get it together and finally walked towards her. The other girl she walked in with had already vanished into the beauty aisle, but he still felt awkward as hell approaching her after so long.

"Hi, Erza," he smiled embarrassingly. "Sorry, I had pollen stuck in my throat."

'Pollen stuck in your throat? Mavis, Jellal, you couldn't find another excuse. She's still beautiful. Please don't think I'm weird, Erza. Damn it!' He fought frantically inside his own head until her soft laughter brought him back.

"The pollen has been pretty bad lately," she said. "I get like that, too. Will you walk with me for a bit?"

Jellal nodded slowly and took off his name tag, walking alongside her to the back of the store. It was just about time for him to clock out and he couldn't have been happier. He could talk to her as much as he wanted, provided he could actually talk without his mouth being full of cotton.

Erza mentally played with her thumbs, feeling awkward in front of him. After four years, she still couldn't past more than a greeting. Her heart raced and she went to open her mouth, but nothing came out. She smiled and a light blush formed as she quietly cleared her throat.

"You changed your hair?" She asked, trying to make conversation.

"It's a wig," he admitted. "A few people have said that the blue doesn't suit me, yet you recognized me immediately with the hair and concealer on my face."

"I've always liked your blue hair. They both make you, um, very attractive." The last part of her sentence trailed off and his ears strained, but he heard it. He blushed furiously and the nagging voice in the back of his kept getting louder and louder.

 _ **Ask her on a date! Do it, Jellal! Ask her. The worst she can say is no. Just ask her.**_

"Jellal, are you-"

"Please go out with me, Erza!" He raced out.

He went silent quickly, unsure of where his desperate voice came from. The only thought he had was to go crawl into a hole and never come out. He barely registered her smile and saw her speaking, but couldn't hear anything over his raging heartbeat.

"On a date?" She asked softly.

 ** _Why are you acting so shy!? You're Erza Scarlet! You like him! Go on the date woman!_**

Jellal's hope slowly vanished as the silence grew thicker with each passing second. He shouldn't have asked. Maybe she didn't like him after all. His mind raced with possible scenarios for rejection and he wanted nothing more than to take back his words. Before he could open his mouth to rescind the question, he caught the grin that formed on her face.

"I'd love to," she smiled. "Can I put my number in your phone?"

He fumbled briefly before pulling out his phone and handing it to her. He listened to her type on the keypad and then initiate the call. Her own phone rang and she ended the call from his phone. He raised an eyebrow at her and she handed his phone back.

"Just so you don't think I gave you a fake number," she chuckled. "You should already know I could never do something like that."

Jellal nervously ran his hand through his hair and she walked closer to him. He could smell the light perfume and blushed at the scent. How could she stand so close to him and torment him this way? He fought with himself mentally to keep his hands to himself as she reached up to his hair. His eyes landed on her beautiful face and his eyebrow rose in confusion at the frown that slowly formed.

"Erza?" He asked cautiously. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't like this hair color," she said, gently pulling the wig off and revealing his natural blue. "You look much better this way. Brown drowns your eyes out, but you stand out much more this way. Please wear your hair this way. Don't hide yourself."

Jellal's blush intensified and with her so close, he wanted nothing more than to hug her. He had long forgotten who talked him into the wig, but was happy to learn how much she liked his blue hair. They stayed that way for what seemed like an endless minute until the sound of a throat clearing made them separate. He saw Erza's face redden as she held the wig behind her back and she smiled nervously as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

"Oh," she mumbled. "How long were you standing there, Mira?"

The silver haired woman chuckled softly and a small voice grew in volume as she leaned over the stroller in front of her. She picked up the small child from the car seat and let the baby face Erza and Jellal.

"Amara grew impatient so we decided to see what was taking you so long."

' _More like you came to snoop,_ ' Erza thought.

Mira smiled. "Anyway, who's this handsome gentleman and why have you been keeping him away?"

"This is Jellal," Erza stuttered. Before she finished her sentence, she fought herself mentally. She had only been reacquainted with him for less than 10 minutes and she was already stuttering. "I went to high school with him. This is the first time in four years that I've seen him."

"Jellal?" Mira questioned, but then the realization hit and she grinned slyly. "So you're _that_ Jellal. You hear that Amara? He's _that_ Jellal!"

The baby in her arms cooed happily and Mira cradled the small child. Once the child settled back down, Mira placed her into the stroller again with a grin. There was no way she would let Erza walk away from him again. She missed her match making chance in high school and knew that they would be brought together again. It was simply a matter of time.

"I see," she mused. "I'll meet you outside, Erza. It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Jellal."

"You too, Ms. Mira," he stuttered.

Mira walked away giggling and Erza turned back to face Jellal. Her face had reddened like a strawberry and she had no idea how to save face with him. As soon as she looked at him, her memories flooded back and she felt her mouth dry up. It was his hair. She loved his beautiful blue hair and his hazel eyes. She dreamed of waking up and seeing it tousled from sleep. She sighed inwardly at the intrusive thought until Jellal finally cleared his throat.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You're really flushed."

 _ **You have no idea...**_

"I-I'm fine," she stammered. "I'll talk to you later then?"

He nodded and smiled at her which only made her blush harder. He couldn't stop staring as he watched her face turn the same color of her hair. It the the cutest thing he'd ever seen and it took all of his energy not to grin like a high school boy in love.

"I'll talk to you a bit later tonight," he said. "I have to do a bit of food shopping and take care of a few house things, but I will make time for you."

"Then I look forward to it," she said softly. "Bye, Jellal. I'll talk to you soon."

Erza turned to walk away from him and smiled as soon as her back was turned. She wanted to jump for joy. Jellal Fernandes asked her on a date! Her! Erza Scarlet! She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she made a wrong turn and bumped into a door. She blinked out of her daydream and turned to see Jellal bent over at the waist. He had been putting fallen merchandise back on the shelves and she assumed one of them had bumped into it. She saw him look up with a grin and she felt the heat rise again. She needed to look in front of her before she damaged more property. Erza waved briefly and walked to catch up to Mira.

"I saw it," she blurted to him. "I wanted to make sure it was properly hinged."

 _ **Properly hinged? Oh, Erza. Just leave before you wreck the store.**_

"So, he was _that_ Jellal," Mira teased as Erza finally caught up to her. "He is cute. I can see why you couldn't forget about him. What happened?"

Erza blushed lightly before taking a bite of her food. She still couldn't believe what had happened. Being asked on a date by Jellal Fernandes was a girlish dream for her and she couldn't believe it had come true. She swallowed her food and looked at the silver haired woman feeding the baby.

"He asked me on a date," she said quietly. "I gave him my number and have his saved. I'll wait for him to contact me with a date and time. I don't want to seem clingy by asking constantly."

"And you're sure that he'll contact you? I don't want this to be another Simon situation, Erza."

The thought of Simon made Erza want to cry. He stood her up multiple times and when they were together, he was an emotional bully. He cheated on her and pushed her to sex when she hadn't been ready. She remembered when he would constantly guilt her into things she wasn't comfortable doing and she hated herself for a long time afterward. She knew it was dangerous to get her hopes up, but something inside her just knew that Jellal was different. His personality seemed the same as it did when they were in school. The fact that she had never forgotten about him proved her feelings. She wanted to meet with him and catch up. There couldn't be any harm in doing that.

"I know, Mira. I promise to be careful."

 ** _I'm rooting for your happy ending, Erza. You deserve it._**

The sound of the baby giggling broke through the tense air and Erza sighed in relief. At the end of the day, Mira was always there for her and continued to be her closest friend. Erza looked over at the baby and grinned.

"Aren't you excited, Amara? I have a date!"

The blue eyed baby stared blankly at Erza before trying to grip her finger. She cooed at the red head and waved her arms around. Erza laughed and picked her up with a wide grin.

"Cross your fingers for me! I really like him."

Jellal stared at the number in his phone and smiled. He wanted to call her already, but decided to give it a little bit more time. He knew that she was currently out with her friend and probably wasn't home yet. In his slight boredom, he decided to turn his game on to play a few rounds. To his surprise, Titania was not online.

"That's odd," he thought aloud. "She's usually on around now. Maybe she got stuck at work. Oh well."

He went to his menu and started up his game. The decision to play offline or online played in his mind and he pursed his lips in debate. He finally decided to play online and his first opponent appear on his screen as a player named Salamander.

Salamander was a player he played against a couple of times previously. They weren't friends online, but he enjoyed playing against the person. He really needed to get more friends in real life. The fact that he could count all of his friends on one hand concerned him a little bit. He looked over at his phone as the match loaded, but saw nothing. He didn't expect her to text first as he said he would initiate, but it didn't stop him from looking. The background music for his match pulled him from his thoughts and as soon as the fight began, he saw his phone buzz. Her name popped up on the screen and he looked twice in disbelief. Being in an online match, Jellal was unable to pause the game and tried to complete the match as quickly as possible.

His phone rang again and he looked over again. The distraction was real and he just performed as many combos as possible to end the match with a KO. Once the match was over, he picked up his phone to glance at the preview message.

 _Sorry, but I couldn't wait to say hi again. Hi, Jellal :)_

He stared at the message before laughing with a small blush. He thought it was the cutest message and turned the game off to respond. He wouldn't be able to concentrate while talking to her so he just turned the television on.

 _Hi, beautiful. Don't worry. I didn't forget. Just wanted to give you time to settled at home._

He sent the message and grinned as he flicked through the channels. For some reason, he wasn't in the mood to play any games. Talking to her was a much welcomed distraction and he would try his hardest not to be awkward. His phone chirped and he opened the newest message from her. He felt like a high school boy with a crush.

 _I can't wait for us to catch up. There's actually something I wanted to say back in high school but I never did._

Jellal stared at the message with curiosity before he typed a reply. He wonder exactly what she had wanted to say to him back then. His mind wandered and he couldn't help but remember the first time he met the red headed woman.

::::::::::::

"Everyone, now that we know first names, please pick your partner. The person you choose will be you lab partner for the duration of the course. I will evaluate your progress in two months and change the pairings if you come to me with potential problems ahead of time. Please do not wait until the month before the project is due to make this change as it was cause you to fall drastically behind. Some of you already know each other while others are complete strangers. This will be an opportunity to make new friends!"

Jellal watched his classmates shuffle around to find partners. He noted a red headed woman talking to two people and laughing rather cutely. He blushed lightly and tried to look away, but he heard her speak and he felt drawn to her again. The blue haired man approached as soon her friends separated themselves to start collaborating. He saw her look around for a potential partner and sigh as if she had been defeated.

"Hi," he said nervously. "Would you like to be my partner? I promise I pull my own weight."

She looked up like a deer in headlights before smiling slowly and taking the hand he had extended.

"Sure," her voice came out shakily. "I'm Erza Scarlet and you are?"

"Jellal. Jellal Fernandes."

"Hi, Jellal," she said with a smile. "I hope we get a good grade this semester."

He nodded with a grin and finally let her hand go. They took their seats and he watched her take out a piece of paper with a pen.

"What kind of project were you interested in? I thought of something simple like building a computer. I already have most of the parts and we could write a description about what we've done or record a video of the process."

Jellal stared at her in awe of her knowledge. He couldn't believe that building a computer seemed simple to her. She was going to be an interesting partner indeed. It sounded like a good idea to him.

"That works," he said. "What parts are you missing? I can help you get them."

Erza pondered for a moment before setting the pen back to the paper.

"I need a power supply, CPU, and the video card. The RAM should have come in the mail today. Do you have a video camera by chance?"

"I can ask my sister if she has any plans to record any of her music videos. If she doesn't, then I should be able to borrow hers."

"Music videos?" Her eyebrow rose in slight curiosity as she watched the blue haired man look out of the window.

"My younger sister Meredy likes to record herself singing and dancing to music videos. She wants to become a singer when she gets older so she uses it to practice."

"She knows what she wants to do at an early age. I admire that. She sounds like she practices a lot. It helps to go after a goal that has your undivided interest. If she will not be using her camera, please ask if it is okay for us to use it for the project." Erza said. "Would you like to come over after school to start?"

"Sure. I'll meet you by the school entrance."

:::::::

He snapped out of his day dream and finally looked back at his phone. Just a simple thought of her could take him out of his boring reality and back to high school. He really wished he had said something other than a boring hi. He was very curious to know what she had to say and his fingers shook with anticipation before he began typing.

 _Let's meet tomorrow. Pick a place you feel comfortable with._

Jellal didn't wait long before her reply came though. He scrolled down to read the message and blinked in confusion at the location she chose. His eyes had to be playing some sort of trick on him.

 _How about we meet at Fairy Tail around noon?_

Jellal remembered that Fairy Tail was the name of the group that Titania was currently a member of. The group name was also the name of a well-known restaurant in Magnolia and he almost forgot that. It was likely a coincidence since Fairy Tail became a popular place thanks to the victories of the gaming group. They were able to drive a lot of traffic to the restaurant and he was sure that the owner was likely grateful for the increased revenue. He stared at his phone again before typing up his response.

 _Noon sounds great. I will meet you there._

* * *

A/N: Another chapter completed. Short, but completed. I don't anticipate this story to be as long as Shackles of Yesterday, but I'm sure I won't be able to stop writing. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Behind the Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: Yet again, I have experienced a bit of writer's block with Shackles of Yesterday. I'm hoping to get that worked out soon! Thank you all for sticking with this story and I am hoping that this chapter is better than the last. Again, this won't be a long story, but I feel as though I have to build a little bit.

I present to you, chapter four.

Thank you.

* * *

Chapter Four: I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me…

Erza stared at her phone with glee as she re-read the message from Jellal. He had agreed to meet her at Fairy Tail and she couldn't wait. They were all good about keeping their gaming lives separate from their everyday lives, so she was certain that she didn't have to worry. She didn't want Jellal to think she had no life aside from games or that she lived in a basement eating all day. When she first started playing video games, she never mentioned it as she was always told that ladies did not game.

She grinned and turned her computer on, hoping to get more gaming in before she went to bed. A lot of the guys were surprised that she played console and PC games, but they were unable to defeat her. She chuckled to herself as her desktop finally loaded and she opened her folder of games.

"I think I'm in a hack and slash kind of mood," she mused. "Devil May Cry 4 it is!"

She opened up the game and watched the start menu load. Having a solid state drive made her live slightly easier as she didn't care to wait through load times. As soon as the screen popped up, she went through her start menu to configure her new controller for use. She hadn't played a PC game in quite some time, but a smile graced her features as she went through the game's first stage.

Before she could immerse herself into the opening cut scene, her phone rang and pulled her away towards reality. She sighed inwardly and picked up the ringing device.

"Erza! Are you busy?" The voice frantically asked.

"What's the matter, Lucy? Are you okay?"

"Can you please come to my house? I can't get in touch with Natsu and I am freaking out right now!"

Erza interrupted the cut scene and went back to the main menu. She exited the game and began shutting her computer down before gathering her things.

"I'll be right over. Give me about 15 minutes."

He watched her leave in a rush, but kept his distance. It wouldn't be good for him if he had been spotted. He couldn't stay away from her despite her blatantly telling him to do so. He enjoyed watching her from far away. The way her red hair flew behind her as she walked briskly and the slight bounce of her breasts made him want to have her again. He felt like she was showing off and it angered him. She should not have been flaunting herself in public like this!

 _Fucking whore_

He adjusted his sunglasses and followed behind her to find her destination. There was no reason for her to be dressed that way if she wasn't going to see that stupid blue haired bastard. His rage boiled and he quickened his pace as she walked faster. She looked like she was in a rush and he clenched his fists. How dare she rush to go see him!

 _You can't run from me forever, Erza._

He rounded the corner carefully and continued following her until she arrived at a house. He watched her fix her shirt after knocking on the door and growled angrily. When he saw a woman at the door, his eyebrow rose in interest. He had no idea that Erza hid another side to her. He was interested and enraged at the same time for not being included. He watched her enter the house and close the door behind her. For the time being, he would leave her alone. He knew that she would come back to him soon.

* * *

Lucy paced back and forth in her room, looking nervously at the bathroom door. The light seemed brighter than normal and she sat down to get herself together. She was terrified and could not seem to calm herself down. She heard faint thumps against her door and thought they were in her head until they became louder.

She walked briskly to her front door to find Erza standing with a worried look on her face. Lucy moved to let her in and closed the door behind her. The blonde haired woman tried her best to but a brave face on, but she couldn't seem to get it together. Before she knew it, she ended up on the floor in tears.

"Lucy, can you tell me what's going on?" Erza asked calmly.

The sound of crying pierced the otherwise silence in the home and Erza sat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lucy's crying turned into stifled sobs as she pointed towards the bathroom. Erza guided her to the couch in the living room before heading towards the brightly lit room. Once she stepped into the room, she saw the stick on the edge of the sink on top of a paper towel. The pink plus symbol grabbed her attention and she had no idea how to react. Lucy's crying suddenly made sense to her. The blonde had no idea how to take the news.

Erza went back out to the living room and hugged her crying friend. She felt as if she couldn't do much, having never been in this situation before. It pained her to see Lucy so distraught at a result that had yet to be confirmed by a doctor, but she knew that if she were in her shoes, she'd panic just the same.

"Lucy, do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what happened, Erza. I thought we were being safe. I know well enough that the risk is there each time a man and woman decide to have sex. I took my birth control on time every day and we used protection. I just don't understand what happened!"

"Take a deep breath, Lucy. Have you seen a doctor recently?"

Lucy shook her head slowly as she tried to compose herself. "No, I haven't been to one yet."

"The first thing you have to do is go to a doctor to get a positive confirmation. Should it be true, you have to tell Natsu. I'm sure he'll be shocked, but I know he'll support whatever decision you make."

Erza held her arm around Lucy's shaking shoulders and smiled gently. She patted her shoulder in reassurance and looked at her.

"You will be okay. Perhaps you'll even feel better telling Natsu first so that you can both see the doctor."

"You're right," Lucy whispered. "I panicked and had no idea how to react. In that one moment, everything just turned upside down for me. I want to tell Natsu first, in case it does turn out to be true. Can you stay with me, please?"

Erza felt taken aback by the request as she was sure Lucy wanted to be alone to collect her thoughts. She nodded slowly as Lucy stood up and went to the kitchen.

"Thank you, Erza. I'll make you something to eat."

She went to protest, but watched Lucy's facial expression and decided against it. This was probably her way of trying to calm herself down so Erza took the chance to check her phone. She noticed a notification from her messages app and her jaw dropped in shock. The contact wasn't saved, but she recognized the number.

 _How dare you whore yourself out to Jellal. I told you that I would be back to protect you and you just left me without even trying to wait! Don't you dare let him touch you._

Erza closed the message and went back to her main screen. Her hand shook slightly and she rubbed her forehead in annoyance. She had no idea how he got her new phone number. She changed her number twice and both times, he managed to contact her. She blocked the number each time, but he would always contact her another way. He had to have been close if he knew about Jellal. She felt a shiver down her spine at the thought of him being so close without her knowing.

 _How could I not pay attention to my surroundings? I was careless._

"Erza? Erza, are you there?"

The red head looked up to find Lucy staring at her with worried eyes. She had no idea that she ended up zoning out completely. The text from him made her skin crawl and she had finally trained herself on how to get past it.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm supposed to be helping you and I'm zoning out. I'm sorry."

"Is something wrong, Erza? You haven't been yourself lately."

Erza shook her head as to not to worry her friend, but the blonde simply raised an eyebrow at her. Erza looked away and sighed slowly before handing her the phone with the open message.

"You've seen Jellal again?" Lucy asked in surprise. "More importantly, he's been contacting you again!?"

"Just recently," Erza admitted. "I've been ignoring him, but the last message weirded me out. It's as if he's been watching me all this time. I've been careless."

Lucy stared at her with a slight look of horror. She couldn't believe that Erza had been hiding something like this from her. She wanted to know why Erza kept something so important to herself at the risk of her safety.

"I didn't want anyone to worry," she heard her say.

"That's not an excuse. We all knew that there was something wrong with Simon the day he showed up at your apartment with a knife in his hand! All because you broke up with him! Erza, you need to file a police report."

"A police report seems like a bit much, Lucy. It doesn't seem like it's gotten to that point. I think that he just needs time to get over things."

"Erza, normal people need time to get over a break up. They don't stalk you for months!"

"I'm meeting Jellal tomorrow," she said softly. "Can I stay here tonight, please?"

"That shouldn't even be a question! You're being stalked! Do you honestly think I would let you walk out of this door?"

Erza sighed and shook her head in defeat. She knew that Lucy was right and she also knew that she had been careless. It would suck, but she knew she would have to get the police involved if it kept happening. She thought that everyone deserved a second chance if their actions weren't damning.

"Thank you, Lucy. I'm sorry I did not say anything."

"You're the strongest of us all, but that doesn't mean that you'll never need help. Please trust us, Erza."

Lucy stared at her until she heard a soft chuckle come from Erza. The blonde finally smiled and sat next to her. She knew exactly how Erza was and it didn't really surprise her that she had never said anything. For as long as she knew Erza, she knew the red head wasn't the type to make people worry about her. She'd rather be the one that worried. Lucy snapped out of her worry at the sound of knocking on her door. She wasn't expecting anyone and her worry turned to panic. She looked at Erza, but the woman seemed frozen in place.

"Lucy! Please open the door!"

She sighed in relief at the sound of Natsu's voice, despite her panic over seeing him. Erza's stalker knowing where she could be outweighed the news of a potential pregnancy. She nearly raced to the door, but carefully looked out of the window to make sure Natsu was alone. Once she confirmed that he was alone, she opened the door and hugged him as hard as she could. He staggered in with her clinging to him and closed the door.

"I've been trying to call you for hours, Lucy. It wasn't like you to not answer so I raced over. Hey, Erza! Fight me!"

Lucy blinked in confusion at his words. She was sure her phone hadn't rang, but she did remember how out of it she had been lately. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. He was still trying to pick a fight with Erza, not realizing that she hadn't been paying him attention. Once they were in the kitchen, Lucy sighed and sat down across from him.

"I'm sorry that I have not been answering the phone. There is something that I need to tell you, but I wasn't sure how to. Erza came over to help me and then I found out that Simon's been contacting her again, but she's never said anything about it. He's been contacting her for weeks now from different phone numbers."

"Simon's resorted to stalking now?" Natsu asked quietly. "That's why she didn't pay any attention when I came in. She must be trying to process it. Now that you've told me what's up with Erza, what's happening with you? You've been acting a little strangely over the last couple of days yourself."

Lucy played with her hands in an attempt to distract herself again, but Natsu gently held her hands to make her pay attention. She knew that she would have to say something, but she didn't think that she would be seeing him this soon. She wanted time to process, but knew it was selfish to do it alone. She sighed quietly before looking at him.

"Natsu, please don't be mad. I still don't know how to process it myself, but I now know that it was selfish to try. I think I may be pregnant."

Natsu stared at her and then looked down at her stomach. He could see that she looked terrified and he held her hands a little be tighter. She lifted her head to look at him and saw the huge grin that she loved. He didn't look panicked at all.

"Your decision is my decision! Having a miniature me running around sounds like a great time."

Lucy felt the tears in her eyes and nodded her head with a smile. She had been completely nervous about telling him, but he took the news much better than she did at first. It really was amazing at how a simple smile could make everything better. She was happy that she had told him. With that news out of the way, they could both help Erza deal with the stalker she re-acquired.

They walked back into the living room and saw Erza watching television as if nothing happened. She had her phone in her hand and a smile on her face. She turned to face them as soon as she heard them enter the room and looked at Natsu.

"I didn't know you were coming here today, Natsu. How are you doing?"

"Lucy may be pregnant and you have a stalker. I'd say I'm spinning in circles!"

Lucy sighed tapped his forehead gently, knowing that Erza could still be feeling nervous about it. She looked over at Erza and saw that smile that formed followed by a laugh. Lucy sat down and stared at Erza to make sure the red head wasn't faking her emotions.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I think I'm okay now. I've been talking to Jellal and I'm actually feeling much better. The only thing I'm nervous about is my date with him tomorrow."

"Jellal?" Natsu asked in confusion. "You mean Jellal Fernandes from high school? The guy you always stared at!?"

Erza felt the heat in her face and looked away. Natsu's loud laugh echoed through the room and he folded his arms.

"It's about time you went on a date with him. I thought for sure you would have dated or at least gone out a couple of times in high school. I thought for sure that would have happened sooner rather than later."

"That's enough out of you, Natsu." Lucy teased. "Remember how long it took you to ask me out?"

"That's not the point," he argued.

Erza laughed and looked back at her phone. Despite dealing with Simon, she felt better and much happier about her upcoming date. She wanted to remain in her happy zone and didn't want thoughts of Simon to ruin that. Her phone chimed again and she looked at the message.

 _I can't wait to see you tomorrow. It seems like time is going slower than normal._

"You're blushing, Erza! Did Jellal text you?"

"I think he's looking forward to the date. To be honest, I can't wait either."

Lucy chuckled and pointed towards the kitchen when she heard a rumble. She looked at Erza as the latter nervously smiled and tried to talk over the sound of her stomach.

"Maybe you should eat now. Once you eat, I can get the bath ready for you. One must sleep well before an important date!"

* * *

Erza arrived at Fairy Tail a little bit before noon and waiting at the entrance for Jellal. She knew that she was early and didn't mind waiting. She could hear her name being called and she turned to face the voice.

"I thought that was you, Erza! It's been a while since Titania appeared. I take it work has kept you busy?"

"It has," Erza answered. "How have you been, Levy?"

"Everything is well. Gajeel and Lily are out, but should be arriving soon. I can't believe she's only three. She's just getting so big!"

"I would imagine that she's bossing Gajeel around. They're glued to the hip." Erza teased. "Have you been online recently?"

Levy grinned and guided Erza towards an open table. The blue haired woman sat down with her for a moment and leaned forward as if to remain quiet.

"I have. I've also seen that you'll be attending the TTT later this month. What prompted your participation?"

"Well, there's a gamer I'm looking to meet. They call him Mystogan. I've played against him a lot and we've only spoken online, but I like how he talks to me. He doesn't flirt and he doesn't ask inappropriate things."

"Is there a picture of him on his profile?" Levy asked. "You know you have to be careful when talking to people online."

Erza nodded and looked towards the door when it opened. It wasn't Jellal and she turned back towards Levy. "He doesn't have a picture, but I don't blame him. I don't have one either."

"You don't have one for a reason, Erza."

"Honestly, that man already knows I play games. I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to show up at the tournament just to draw attention to himself. Lucy says that I should get the police involved."

"And I agree with her! You have to look out for your safety, Erza. You know that we worry about you."

The red head smiled and leaned back in her chair. She knew that both women were right and she did need to do something about him lurking around and following her. She just assumed that he would get tired of it if she continued to ignore him. The silence of the otherwise noisy establishment made both women look towards the door. The blue haired man standing at the entrance looked slightly embarrassed at the attention he drew and saw the familiar sea of red hair.

"My date's here." Erza said quietly.

"Date!?" Levy exclaimed. "When were you going to tell me you had a date!?"

"Well," Erza began. "I have a date today with a guy I went to high school with."

Levy rolled her eyes and stood up from the table with a grin. It was just like Erza to change an uncomfortable topic into something else. She didn't blame her. Talking about the past did nothing but stress the red head out. Sadly enough, Levy had a bad feeling that something was going to happen.

"I'll direct him over. Have a good time!"

Erza watched Levy walk away towards Jellal and took the chance to make sure her makeup was okay. She had never been one for makeup before, but she figured a little bit of lipstick and eyeliner wouldn't hurt. She put her mirror away just as Jellal approached the table with a boyish grin. It made her blush and she stood up to greet him.

"Thank you for meeting me here on short notice."

Jellal sat down across from her and smiled as he picked up a menu. For him, he was happy that she decided on a meeting spot right away. He wanted to make the first move to find out what places she liked. The moment she decided to meet at Fairy Tail made him sigh in relief. Less pressure for him.

"Don't worry about it." He said, "I'm happy that you found a place you are comfortable with. I would have had no idea which place to choose."

She chuckled softly and straightened herself in her chair. She couldn't have been happier than she currently was in this moment. It was a dream come true after many years of regretting that she never said anything to him. Now, he was here and he was here with her. Nothing could ruin this moment for her except…

"Hello, Titania."

The voice sent shivers of fear down her spine and she felt cold air around her. She felt the panic rise in her chest and tried to breathe normally. Her vision blurred slightly and the man across from her quickly stood to help her.

"Simon," she breathed weakly.

Jellal watched the other man move closer to her and he turned himself into a wall for Erza. Something about this man did not sit well with him and he knew he needed to be on guard. His mind remained focused on her, but his eyes widened slightly when he recalled the other man's greeting.

 _He just called her Titania…_


	5. Chapter 5

Behind the Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: It's been quite some time since I last updated. I had been trying to figure out which direction I wanted to take and I believe I found it. I'm sorry if it seems a little fast paced, but I promise it'll be better next time.

I do not like Simon very much. This chapter should contain all of my dislike for him. It likely won't, but I at least started!

* * *

Chapter 5: Revealed!?

Erza froze in place at the sound of the voice. Her body felt cold and disgusting at the mere sound. She felt her arms wrapping around her body to shield herself from the oncoming pain. Her mind screamed at her to escape, but she could barely move.

"Simon," she breathed weakly.

Jellal watched the other man move closer to her and he noticed her panicked reaction to the stranger. Something about this man did not sit well with him and he knew he needed to be on guard. His mind remained focused on her, but his eyes widened slightly when he recalled the other man's greeting.

 _He just called her Titania…_

"Excuse me." Jellal said calmly, "Erza seems to be a little sick. Could you please give her some space?"

The fair-skinned man rose an eyebrow at the request from Jellal and looked down at Erza. She still hadn't looked at him and he felt irritated at the sheer disrespect she showed. He felt the fear radiating off of her and smirked before looking at Jellal.

"She's okay. She needs to get used to me being here. Mind your business little boy blue."

Jellal could see Erza shaking and stood up to face Simon with a hardened look. He knew Erza was uncomfortable and that fact that this man took pleasure in seeing her nearly breakdown made him upset. He walked towards Erza's side of the table and gently pulled her up from her chair, watching Simon the entire time. Her body felt limp in his hands and she stared off into the distance as if she forced herself into another world. The fact that he called her by a name he only knew though gaming was the least of his worries. Something about him bothered her to the point where she went catatonic. He had to get her out of there.

"If you won't leave, then we will."

Simon balled his fists up at Jellal's cold voice. He never had someone speak to him with such disrespect and he took a step closer to him. The dark haired man stared as he watched Jellal size him up without flinching. He didn't like it.

"You need to leave, now."

Both men turned around to see a tall blonde man with a lightning shaped scar on the right side of his face. He didn't look happy with the scene being caused and stepped closer to Simon. The dark haired man smirked at the newcomer and folded his arms. It had been quite a long time since they crossed paths and Simon rose an eyebrow.

"Laxus Dreyar."

* * *

Two years ago

"Laxus, did you just get a call from Erza? What happened?"

He stood up angrily and grabbed his jacket off of the closet hook. The phone call he received enraged him into action and he looked over at Mira. She cradled their baby in her arms with a worried look on her face.

"I'm bringing her home. Away from Simon. For good."

"Laxus, tell me what happened."

"I can't, Mira. Just know I'll be back soon."

"Okay," she whispered.

Mirajane watched Laxus open their front door and she gasped in surprise at the sight of Natsu, Gray and Gajeel. Laxus closed the door behind them and Mira sat back on the couch with tears pooling in her eyes.

" _I have a friend that thinks she may be being abused by her live-in boyfriend. He hits her and forces himself on her. He threatens to kill her and then himself. He says she can't leave or he'll kill himself. She feels trapped and doesn't know what to do. I don't know how to help her. What should she do, Mira?"_

 _The silver-haired woman looked at Erza with a hardened expression. Mira knew the friend in the story, but if Erza wouldn't give a name, she couldn't force it out of her._

" _Erza, be honest. Is he hitting you?"_

 _Mirajane stared at the red headed woman and saw her gaze switch from left to right. At that point, Erza didn't even have to answer. Mira knew and it broke her heart in two for the woman in front of her._

" _I thought I would be able to handle him on my own. I can't escape no matter how many times I try. I keep going back. Why do I keep going back?"_

" _Because you're in love and it can be hard to see what's happening."_

 _Erza looked down at her feet in shame, knowing that Mira had been spot on. She knew that she had been wearing the rose tinted glasses and was unable to see the red flags that were so obvious to her._

Mirajane stared at the clock, watching the minute hand slowly pass by and looked down at her daughter. Her heart broke all over again knowing that her daughter could possibly fall into the same situation if she fell hard enough.

 _:::::::::::::::::::::::::_

Laxus pounded on Erza's front door, growing more alarmed each second she didn't answer. He stopped for a moment when he heard shuffling from behind the door and stood back in case it opened. When it didn't, he sighed and knocked more gently.

"Erza, if you can hear me please open the door."

He heard nothing but silence and clenched his fist before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Gajeel staring at him.

"Let's break it down. She's not answering."

Laxus nodded and braced himself to ram his shoulder against the door. He looked at Gajeel as the dark haired man readied himself to ram the door as well. They counted and ran into the door, eventually breaking it down despite the pain they felt. Once Laxus straightened himself, he looked on in horror at the sight before him.

"Erza!" He heard Natsu and Gray yell out.

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Gajeel yelled, snapping Laxus out of his frozen state.

Erza had been beaten to a pulp and he could see the blood still flowing. Her wounds looked fresh and he could see purple bruises on her pale skin. As tough as he knew he was, he fought the urge to throw up from horrendous sight. The shuffling they heard must have been her falling to get to them. He could see a slight trail of blood and rushed over to her. He had never seen such a gruesome sight before and he felt the water in his eyes at seeing her like this.

"Erza, can you hear me?" He asked gently.

Laxus picked her up slowly and watched her head roll to the side. She had fallen unconscious and he could see the blood on the side of her head.

"Grab a blanket so we can get her out of here."

Natsu raced into her bedroom and grabbed the sheet hanging off the bed only to see it soaked with blood. He cursed loudly and went into her closet for another one. Once he was able to find a dark colored one, he carried it back out to Laxus with a steel glare.

"That room is a crime scene. There's blood all over the sheets. Let's hurry up. She's probably lost a lot of blood already."

Laxus nodded and they rushed out of the house to the car. He carried Erza close to him, making sure that she was still breathing. He could see her chest moving slightly indicating that she was still alive. He heard a groan from her as they maneuvered into the car and he looked down at her.

"Don't worry. We're getting you to the hospital. Floor it, Gray."

"You don't have to tell me twice," the dark hair man muttered as he sped off. "We're going to see Ur and Ultear. They'll know what to do."

Laxus secured Erza's body as Gray turned the corner quickly. He couldn't believe what had happened. They had all just seen each other the other day and he hadn't noticed anything different about Erza. He had no idea how long she had been holding something like this in. Once they arrived at the hospital, they were immediately greeting by two women and a wheelchair.

"Thank you," Gray said without pause. "I wanted to take her somewhere safe."

"Let's get her to a room. After that, you can tell us what happened." A woman with short hair said quickly.

Laxus settled Erza into the wheelchair, making sure she was okay and wheeled her off behind the two women. Gajeel and Natsu were still behind them to ensure that they were not being followed. Getting to Erza seemed way too easy for his comfort and he couldn't help but feel like it wasn't over yet. He knew that it had been Simon, but the only one who had proof was Erza. There was no way she was in the right mind to make that judgement. She had to have been terrified. Laxus would let the younger woman take the decision making. He knew it would be selfish of him to make any choices for her. The only things they could do were be there for her.

As soon as they got Erza into a room, the door closed behind them and he turned around to make sure no one else had entered. Gajeel helped him get Erza onto the bed and the two women approached the side.

"Ur, please help her." Gray pleaded. "Please, Ultear."

"She'll be okay Gray. We'll get her cleaned up and get her vitals. Once we do that, you're all welcomed back in here."

"But," Natsu protested and was interrupted by Laxus shaking his head.

"Gray made the call. We can trust them."

"Fine. We'll be outside, Erza. It'll be okay."

They exited the room in silence, looking over their shoulders at the battered red head. It was completely unexpected as she always seemed happy around him. The more it had been thought about, the more that some of them were able to see slight differences in her behavior. It was terrifying. She had been silently crying for help each time they were around. The time seemed to pass slowly as Natsu continued to stare at the clock. He, like the others, hated himself for letting it get so far. Each man took Erza's pain and blamed themselves for not being able to help despite the situation being completely out of their hands. None of them ever felt helpless, until now.

Natsu looked over at Gray who lowered his head to hide his expression. There was no way to even crack the tension thickening in the room. He looked at Gajeel who had finally turned away from everyone, but had been tapping his foot against the floor anxiously. Lastly, there was Laxus. Natsu could feel the rage radiated from the blonde man as he saw him clench his fist in anger. He looked back towards the direction of Erza's room, waiting for the sign that they could go back in. Time passed and phones rang with the worried voices of their girlfriends wanting to know what was happening and Erza's status. Eventually, the women showed up with rage radiating from them.

"I can't believe something like this happened." Lucy sniffled. "Is Erza okay?"

Natsu hugged her and motioned for her to sit next to him. She sat down and placed her head on his shoulder.

"They're cleaning her up now. We saw a lot of bruises and blood. Her fists were bruised too, so it looked like she tried to fight back. She's not going back to her apartment."

"You're right." Levy finally said, looking at Gajeel's worried frame. "I'll chip in and help pay a lease break for her apartment if I have to. That place is unsafe."

"Simon is dangerous." Juvia said quietly. "His body language terrified Juvia every time he came around."

Juvia leaned closer to Gray and the latter shifted anxiously. She watched his body language for any signs of discomfort, but all she could see was the tension. They were all really worried about Erza and those closest to her seemed hurt the most. She looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw two women in white coats walking towards them. She recognized them immediately.

"Hello, everyone. I'm happy to announce that Erza is currently stable. We are awaiting her test results to make sure that there is no permanent internal damage due to the severe bruising she incurred. You should all rest for the night. Either myself or Ultear will give you a call when she has awakened."

"Can we stay?" Lucy asked softly. "Please?"

Ur looked at the tired group and back over her shoulder at Erza's room. "Okay," she said in slight defeat. "Ultear will gather cots for you all. You can sleep in her room."

"I'll help her." Gray said, nearly jumping to his feet. He had been waiting for an excuse to do something else other than sitting around.

Juvia released his arm and nodded as he walked with Ultear to get everyone set up. No one had been prepared to spend the night at the hospital, but they were more than one hundred percent certain that Erza was not prepared either. Juvia felt her heart breaking for the woman in the room agreed with Levy. They would do whatever they could to help her break her lease. She couldn't stay there anymore.

* * *

Laxus stared Simon down with the coldest glare he could muster. The man's presence was infuriating and he knew that it was going to get out of hand.

"I don't want any trouble, Laxus. I just want Erza to come back where she belongs. You know I would _never_ do anything to hurt her. She's my shining angel after all." Simon said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Son of a –" A hand grabbed Laxus' pulled back fist and he turned around in anger. His eyes softened slightly at his fiancée and he lowered his fist.

"That's right," Simon jeered. "Listen to your woman. Mira, you're looking lovely as always. I'm so happy to see you healthy. How's Yuriy doing? Is he walking yet?"

The sound of his son's name from Simon nearly sent Laxus into a rage. He sucked in a breath and stood in front of Mira before she could speak. He couldn't stand the sight of Simon after learning what happened. The fact that they had to force it out of Erza and abide by her wishes made it even more difficult for him. Despite his "cold" exterior, he considered certain women very important to him and Erza was one of them. They had all grown up together and he considered her like a little sister. Now his little sister barely responded to those around her and it pissed him off to no end.

"Don't you dare talk to Mira. Leave, Simon. Leave now."

"Are you threatening me, Laxus? That's not very nice of you. Like I said, I simply want Erza back. I'll fight for her if I must."

"She'll never go back to you!"

Simon turned to face the much shorter Levy and was amazed that she had the nerve to stare him down as if she could take him. He laughed in her face and narrowed his eyes. He watched Levy's hands shake as she balled her fists up in anger. He simply couldn't believe the audacity of these people. Erza learned all of her bad habits and he would have to re-train her so that she knew who was in charge.

"And are you going to stop me, little girl? Didn't think so. Where's your man at? He should be here and putting you in your place. Don't you ever speak to a man like that!"

Simon's hand rose, but Levy didn't flinch. She stood tall as his hand came down, but Laxus stood in her way. He gripped Simon's wrist and stared him down. Laxus wouldn't be able to control his temper much longer and he knew it. Simon was the source of pain for Erza and his very presence aggravated all of them.

"You need to fucking leave, Simon."

Simon laughed darkly as he walked towards Erza to leave. The red headed woman couldn't pull herself together and still seemed out of place in her own body. Jellal held her safely as he watch Simon pass them. The tanned man stared down at him and smirked coldly before walking out of the door. Jellal heard the slam of the door echo throughout the entire floor and he felt Erza shiver in her arms.

"Erza?" He asked cautiously.

"Sit her down." Laxus said gruffly. "Mira, please get her some water."

Mira nodded and walked out to get a bottled water, but looked over her shoulder at the red headed woman. She never thought he would show up again, especially after Erza filed the restraining order the first time. Of course, Mira knew better. Simon could be watching her and not violate the terms of the order. There were so many ways to circumvent it that a piece of paper was not going to stop him. When they found her after the first time, she could have died if they didn't get to her in time. She took a deep breath as she grabbed the bottle water and headed back to the room. They had finally gotten Erza to a more private area of the restaurant so that she wasn't overwhelmed by the audience that gathered. She opened the door to see a slightly coherent Erza with Jellal nearly hovering to make sure she was okay.

"I have water for her, Jellal."

Jellal looked up and accepted the bottled water from her with a small smile. The way Erza reacted to Simon's presence absolutely reeked of past abuse and he felt the anger rise again. He couldn't afford to get angry. For him, it was more important to make sure that Erza would be okay. Based on her reaction he already knew. She would never be okay as long as Simon kept popping into her life. He knew he couldn't protect her, but he wanted to be there if she ever needed him.

Erza could see them, but she couldn't speak. She felt as if she was an outsider looking it and she screamed out. No one heard her and she felt her eyes pooling with tears. She screamed to get their attention, but it was as if they couldn't hear her. It was then she knew that she switched without realizing it.

" _Do you want to go back, Erza? Do you feel safe?"_

" _Please let me go back. I want to be with Jellal."_

" _Erza, you created me to protect you. Are you sure this is what you want?"_

" _Please. I will be okay. I'd like to go back now."_

" _Very well, then. Erza, I am here if you need me."_

" _Thank you, Knightwalker."_

* * *

A/N: That certainly escalated quickly. Split personalities are interesting to me. I apologize for a terrible graphic scene :(

It's become much more than just playing a game now...


	6. Chapter 6

Behind The Tag

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: It has been quite some time, hasn't it? I didn't intend to go this long between updates, but between school, writer's block and the knowledge that I will be losing my job, well what can I say? I have finally finished this chapter and do not fret, SoY will be finished very soon. As it is the last chapter, I want to make it the best I've ever written! I can't apologize enough for the long delay. There is quite a bit in this chapter, but I would like to think that Erza and Jellal spending time together is a good thing.

Thank you all for sticking with me. You're the best :D

* * *

Chapter 6: The Knight

 _Thank you…_

The sounds of voices assaulted her conscious and she struggled for a bit before forcing herself awake. Erza blinked, attempting to become familiar with her surroundings. Something hadn't seemed right and she noticed that everyone had been staring at her. She focused to finally realize that she was laying down, staring at the ceiling.

"Where am I?" She asked confusingly. "Jellal? What are you doing here?"

Memories flooded through her and she sat up suddenly, clutching the sheets of the cot she had been placed on. He had stayed with her? After all of that?

"I am so sorry," she said suddenly. "I didn't know any of that was going to happen. I'm sorry it ruined our date."

The blue haired man stared at her as if she had three heads. The interruption of their date was the farthest thing from his mind and his main concern was just to make sure that she was okay. He was happy that she was finally awake. He didn't know if he could call it a state of consciousness of if it had been something else. It was the first time he had ever seen something like that before and it concerned him more than anything.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked. "I should be sorry I couldn't help more. I'm just happy you're awake again. It didn't ruin anything. The moment you passed out, I was just worried about making sure that you were okay."

Against his better judgement to give her space, Jellal pulled her in for a hug and held as tightly as he could. He felt ashamed that he couldn't protect her, but he knew how strong she was. He wouldn't push. She could talk to him if she ever felt ready.

"Jellal…you're squishing me," she mumbled.

He pulled back quickly and looked her over to make sure that she was okay before he breathed a sigh of relief. A small chuckle escaped her and she looked at the others in the room. Jellal turned red and she realized that he had completely forgotten about everyone else. He felt embarrassed, but her smile reassured him and he sat back in the chair again.

"So what will you do, Titania?"

Erza's eyes widened slightly and she looked at Jellal before turning to face the person behind the question. She stared at Laxus with narrowed eyes as she realized he outed her, but Jellal placed his hand on hers.

"Don't worry, I already know. I happen to like women that play video games," he grinned.

The red head blushed and smiled before she made a fist. With Jellal back at her side, dealing with Simon would be easier. She felt safer with him. When he held her, she felt as if nothing could get through the wall that formed from his body. It made her happy. She couldn't wait to have him out of her life for good.

"I'm filing a police report."

Silence went through the room like an arrow and all eyes turned on her. Mira smiled and placed a hand on Erza's shoulder in support. She knew that eventually it would have to happen. Erza was too kind hearted, but she would never push her into something that she wasn't comfortable doing. It wasn't her place to do so, but she wouldn't hide her happiness. She remembered when Laxus came back home with Erza in his arms and she felt terrified that someone like Simon roamed the streets.

"We're here if you need support, Erza. All of us." The silver haired woman said quietly. "Do not hesitate to ask for anything."

Erza began to shake her head until she locked eyes with Laxus. The taller man folded his arms and stared down at her. His eyes left no room for debate. Instantly, she felt small and she knew why he did it. She was being stubborn again.

"You win. I'll ask for help if I need it. Thank you, Mira."

"Good! Now let's get you out of this cot so you can eat. I hope you're hungry."

Before Erza could protest again, the sound of her stomach made her blush in embarrassment and she folded her arms with a pout.

 _You've betrayed me, stomach._

Jellal turned his head away to hide the smile on his face, but his shoulders shook with silent laughter. He was more than relieved to see Erza back to normal and that she would be taking action. It did scare him that someone like Simon was once in her life. He wanted to protect her, but he had a feeling she would likely not want that. The Erza he knew in high school didn't push her problems onto anyone else. She took action and dealt with it. If she needed help, she knew where to find her friends. He stood up from the chair and grabbed his jacket, believing she would want a private moment with her friends. He was still new to her life and perhaps she was uncomfortable having him there.

"Please stay," he heard her mummer softly. "Don't leave."

He stood frozen in place at the sound of her voice. She sounded like herself again, but he could also hear a little bit of fear in her voice. There was no way he could leave her after hearing that. He turned to face her and held his hand out for her to take.

"Let's go eat. I'll make sure nothing happens."

Erza smiled and nodded before taking his outstretched hand. She stood up and he placed his jacket around her shoulders as he led her to the door.

"We'll be near you just in case. Make sure she eats. If you want, you can stay with us tonight if you don't feel safe at home, Erza. I can go with you to the police station tomorrow."

"Thank you, Laxus. I think that would be best."

Jellal nodded in agreement and opened the door for Erza. Before the red head could walk out, her legs were trapped by an unknown force. She nearly fell over, but maintained her balance and looked down to see a head of pink hair and arms wrapped around her.

"Erzy!"

The tension in the room vanished at the sight of this small child keeping her hostage. She bent down and picked up the little girl in her arms with a smile. She felt the small child nuzzle against her and looked towards the doorway. During her time unconscious, she had managed to attract a small crowd of concerned people.

"Lucy," Erza smiled happily. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde smiled at her and watched her daughter cuddle with her friend. She couldn't hide the look of concern on her face from Erza. The red head sighed in defeat before looking over at Lucy.

"I should already know that, shouldn't I?" Erza asked.

"It shouldn't even be a question at this point."

Erza held the small girl in her arms and a small shocked gasp left her when an arm snaked around her shoulder. She looked up and saw Jellal standing beside her with the same smile on his face. A small blush crept upon her face and she looked back down at the child in her arms. She couldn't help but think of the picture they likely presented in front of her friends. She was sure they looked like a family.

"We're sorry for just popping in like this, Erza. You must be hungry and we should let you eat."

"It's no worry," Jellal piped up. "She had not had a chance to eat anything so I thought to cook something small for her."

A smile made its way onto Mira's face and she took the words as a hint. It wasn't something she needed to be told twice. Jellal wanted to cook for her.

"I think that's a lovely idea, Jellal. Sometimes a woman likes a man that can cook. Laxus, we should go home and get our spare room ready for Erza."

The blonde haired man nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Erza. He knew that she'd be okay in Jellal's presence, but something still didn't sit right with him. The entire situation seemed too calculated as if someone had purposely given out Erza's information. He couldn't remember who she remained in contact with or if it could have been someone online. He didn't like where his thoughts were going, but he knew that he had to keep an eye on her.

"Go and get something to eat. We'll have the room ready for you by the time you're finished," he said gruffly. "Don't wander anywhere alone."

Erza handed Lucy's daughter back to her and smiled at Laxus. She knew he meant well and she wouldn't have had it any other way. Things would get better for her and she knew that the first step she had taken would make her life much better.

"I won't, Laxus. I will be safe so there's no need to worry."

" _Don't worry, Laxus. I will be safe. Simon won't let anyone hurt me."_

Laxus clenched his jaw at the memory and looked at Jellal. He paid close attention to how he treated Erza and the genuine worry on his face. He knew that Jellal wouldn't hurt her, but he also knew that should that change, he would be right there to pick her up. He watched Jellal escort her away as they bid their farewells to the group. The blue haired man looked around them every so often to make sure that they were not being watched. He opened the car door for her and made sure she was secured before closing the door and getting into the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Jellal."

Jellal sighed inwardly and shook his head before merging into traffic with his eyes on the road. There was no need for her to apologize and he couldn't stand to see her hurt. He could feel her fear and her sadness from the earlier event. It hurt him to see her feel like she needed to diffuse the tension in the car. He could see her hands fumbling against her skirt and she kept looking out of the window to avoid looking at him. It was certainly an awkward moment, but he would let her talk about it when she wanted to.

"You don't have to apologize, Erza. You have a past that you can't escape. I'm relieved that it didn't turn out as bad as it could have. Your reaction terrified me. I had no idea how to help you. The only thing I could do was hold you and make sure that you could still hear my voice. I should be apologizing to you for not being able to do more."

He heard her sniffle and looked over at her as he approached a red light. The small tear that rolled down her cheek tugged at his heartstrings. His grip tightened on the steering wheel and his jaw clenched. He felt absolutely useless to her and he felt even more selfish for thinking about his feelings. The light turned and he pressed down on the gas as gently as he could. There was no way for him to break the silence without his voice breaking for her. He could only thank the heavens that he didn't live far from the restaurant.

"Jellal, thank you. Thank you for not leaving me."

Jellal finally pulled into his driveway and turned the car off before resting his hands on the steering wheel. He closed his eyes and sighed inwardly in the hope that he could help her. He opened his door and stepped out before going over to her side to help her out. She took his hand and stepped out of the car as the wind whipped against her face. The cold air stung and she wrapped her arms around herself as he guided them towards the front door. He unlocked the door and let her go through first before shutting the door behind her.

"It may be a while before dinner is ready. Would you like anything to drink?"

Erza placed her coat on an open hook and turned to face him. It felt strange to be in an unfamiliar home and she didn't know what to do with herself. The downstairs of his home was pristine with nothing out of place. It didn't look like anything she had imagined.

"Do you have any wine?" She asked cautiously. She didn't think that a man would have wine in his home unless he had women over frequently. Her brows furrowed slightly at the thought of another woman in his home and she felt a strange feeling in her chest. It felt like jealousy.

"Would you like red or white wine?" He asked, presenting two bottles outward.

"Red sounds great, thank you."

Erza watched as he nodded and retreated back to the kitchen. She could hear him rummaging through cabinets and the sound of glass clinking onto the counter top. The thoughts of Jellal having another woman in his house were unreasonable at best and she sighed inwardly.

"You're welcomed to come into the kitchen with me," Jellal called out.

His voice snapped her out of her daydream and she shook her head to clear her mind before wandering into the kitchen. As soon as she stepped in, she stared in awe at how beautiful the kitchen was. She hadn't known a man that liked having granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. His cabinets were a dark cherry wood color and the granite was more of a light color. There was much counter space to work with. She could see the lights on the double over embedded into his wall and sighed happily. It was her dream kitchen.

"This is a beautiful kitchen," she breathed out. "Absolutely amazing."

Jellal poured the wine into her glass and smiled at her compliment. It had taken him months to get his kitchen the way he wanted as he loved to cook. It made him happy to have someone to share the accomplishment with and he sat across from her.

"Thank you. It was quite the project, but I am happy with the way that it turned out."

"You built this? By yourself?"

"I did the design and picked out what I wanted. For me, laying the tile work was the hardest part as I had to make sure the grout would match with the counter top. I had help with installing the cabinets. It took a while to make sure that everything was level and worked out well." He paused for a moment and looked at her. "I'm sorry to ramble on like that. It must seem like I am bragging."

Erza shook her head as she took a small sip of her wine. Listening to his story made her smile and she was happy for him. This was his accomplishment and she envied him a bit. She looked up at him and blushed slightly when she found him staring back at her. Her eyes fell to his lips and she felt her face become hotter at the sight. She couldn't stop staring at him and she looked back up to the mark on his face. The sounds of his throat clearing finally made her realize she had been staring too long and she sputtered an apology.

"I didn't mean to stare. I-I'm sorry."

Jellal chuckled and stood up from the chair to check on their food. He didn't mind it. He was happy when she snapped out of her thoughts. He wasn't sure it was wise for his mind to be led somewhere else. It didn't seem appropriate for the current situation. He was supposed to be helping her relax without worry, not flirting with her.

"Don't worry. I was just hoping that there wasn't something on my face. Dinner should be ready soon. Stuffed shells don't take long to cook. I usually make the shells and freeze them for later use so that I can save time. I know it's not an elaborate meal, but I figured you would want to eat and leave."

Erza caught the hint of sadness in his voice and looked up at him as he turned back to prepare a salad. Her eyes watered slightly and she wiped away the oncoming tears before he could see them. She wanted to stay, but she knew he wouldn't let her. She stood up and walked behind him, wrapping her arms around him. She felt him stiffen as she pressed her face against his back and closed her eyes.

"Erza?"

Jellal felt the shakiness in his voice and tried to calm himself. He had the woman he loved wrapping her arms around him and he froze. He didn't know if she had too much wine or if she just wanted someone to hug. He was unsure of what his next move should have been. Against his better judgement, he turned to face her and wrapped his arms around her. As soon as his arms wrapped around her trembling frame, he felt her break and he heard the sobs. The woman he loved had broken into tears in his arms. He hugged her and rubbed small circles on her back in order to help her calm down. The small movement in his arms made him look down as she pulled her head back to look up at him. Her gorgeous face had been stained with tears and he lifted his hand to gently wipe them away before cupping the side of her face. They stared at each other and he saw the unasked question in her eyes. He leaned his head down as she rose up to meet him and was surprised when he simply kissed her cheek. He pulled back from her and smiled at the shock in her eyes.

"I don't want you to rush into something. You've had a bit of wine and I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

Erza stared at him and nodded her head slowly, unsure of what had just happened. She had wanted him to kiss her, but she was confused about her own motives. Had she wanted something more from him?

"Please have a seat while I get your plate ready for you," he said softly, watching the confusion in her face. "I am pretty certain you haven't eaten all day and I want to make sure you don't experience a headache."

She could only nod again as she went back to her seat and watched him go through the cabinets for plates. Her eyes focused on the blue haired man in front of her moving around his kitchen. He had already taken their food out of the oven and made her plate before handing it to her. She stared in awe at the food in front of her and knowing that he made it from scratch had her smiling wide. Any woman would be lucky to have someone like him. She cut a small piece of her stuffed shell and blew onto it before eating. Her eyes closed with delight as she chewed and swallowed the small forkful and she opened her eyes to find him staring with hope.

"It's amazing, Jellal! I could never cook this well!"

Jellal smiled at her and sat down with his own plate on the other side of her. He was happy to have someone that enjoyed his cooking and he was happy to have someone to cook for. The look on her face was all that he needed to see in order to know she had been feeling better. They ate in silence, taking the occasional breath to ask a question or for her to comment on the food. He made sure that she ate and she had even asked for another glass of wine. His hands shook as he tried to carefully pour more into her glass, but he seemed unable to focus with her staring at him. It was an entirely different atmosphere than earlier. He almost considered it flirtatious. Once they were finished eating, Jellal gathered their plates and placed them into the dishwasher. Erza had already stood with her glass and went over to him.

"Would you like to go home now?" He asked, reaching for the glass.

Erza held on to the glass and shook her head slowly. She wanted to stay with him. She felt safe with him. She felt wanted. Anxiety

"No," she whispered. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

* * *

A/N: You are all absolutely amazing. I've received a few PMs asking when I would update and it spurred me into action again. I managed to fight through my writer's block and while this chapter may not have been that great, I know the next one will be better.


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